To celebrate the 100 year anniversary of women getting the vote, Leeds Library and Information Service are curating an exhibition and series of events relating to the empowerment of women and the history of suffrage. Leeds City Council has been awarded government funding as one of seven ‘Centenary Cities’ and this commission will form part of the citywide celebrations. We are offering an opportunity to create additional new work to complement our planned programme.

We are looking for an artist to engage with, and be inspired by, our Special Collections and bring them to a new and diverse audience. It must be a bold statement work acknowledging the centenary celebrations and directly relate to its position situated within a library.

Room 700 is a multi-use arts space on the first floor of Leeds Central Library positioned between the music and art library. It has a diverse audience and is a space to think, talk, make and do. This is a unique opportunity to develop work for an under-utilised exhibition area. The ante-room area is by the main entrance to the room. The available space is 36m2 with wall mounting opportunity for displayed or projected work. There are 3 wall surfaces that could be utilised measuring 2.5m x 2.7m, 2.5m x 2.7m and 1.5m x 2.7m. The floor to ceiling height is approx. 3.5m.

This area has high impact as you approach the room and contributes to the first impression of audiences visiting the space. It must be appropriate for all ages and with clear titling and interpretation for audiences. It should complement the planned exhibition in Room 700 and other suffrage themed activities.